Chapter 3: The Contest
"Ash? Ash wake up, I swear it's unhealthy how much you sleep!" May was poking his cheek.
Ash groaned and his eyes crept open to the sight of her. Half of him thought he was still dreaming, but he knew better. "May? Where's my hat?"
May put her arms on her hips and kicked the desk. "Get up sleepy head!" Ash looked up at her and he saw his hat. She was wearing it. His face was a bright red again. "She's so cute…" he thought to himself. "Well?" May continued. "Stand up."
"Ugh…alright." Ash scooted his chair back from the desk and stood up. While rubbing one of his eyes, he looked around the room, no one but the two of them in there. "Where is everybody?"
May replied plainly, "Ash it's 3:28. Everyone left twenty minutes ago." May smiled at his foolishness. She reached for the hat on her head and handed it to him.
Ash thought for a moment, and he placed it back on her head. "Keep it for a while." He insisted and they walked out of the school together.
May and Ash were walking to her house, which was not very far from the trainer school, and May brought up the spring event that the Coordinator's Club was having that night.
"There's another event?" Ash inquired. His arms were crossed behind his head as they walked.
May nodded. "Mhmm, but I'm not cheering again. Tonight is a contest! You should enjoy it, Ash. They're basically just battles, but in stylish ways! This time we're having it at the Contest Hall in Rustboro City! Can you make it or do you have to go home early today?" she looked at Ash with hope in her eyes.
Ash put his arms down to his sides and looked at May. "Well yeah, of course I can make it, haha." He smiled and swiped his hat off of her head.
"Hey!" May exclaimed. "Give that back, you said I could keep it for a while!"
Ash just looked at her and he appreciated her beauty. "I like your hair like this, May, where I can see it. I like it when you don't wear a hat or a bandana…"
May blushed lightly and looked away, not letting the boy see. "Th-Thank you, Ash." Her voice was soothing to him, and he smiled contently.
A few more steps and they had arrived at May's house. Upon entering, May opened the refrigerator and stuck her head inside. "Hungry, hungry, hungry…" she mumbled and sighed. "Do you want a drink Ash?"
Ash was zoned out again, thinking about tonight and how he can't wait to be there, supporting her. "Hm? Oh, sure May. I'll just have some water."
May reached for a glass cup from the cabinet behind Ash's head. She had to lean in closely to reach that far. There they were their faces only a few inches apart. Ash was focused on her lips; he didn't think to move so she could get the glass.
A clang came from behind Ash's head and May smiled slightly and backed up with the cup in her hand. Ash came back into reality once again. "I'll be right back. I've got to use the bathroom!" he said it speedily, as if in a panic.
In the bathroom, Ash turned on the water faucet and plashed water onto his face. He looked up into mirror and contemplated. He was so close!
May knocked on the bathroom door. "Ash?"
The door swung open, and he was in the doorway. "Sorry, I'm done."
May remained quiet and handed him the glass of water with a few ice cubes in it, then she sat on the couch in the next room. "Movie?" she suggested.
About two hours later, May woke up and raised her head off of Ash's shoulder, the television at a blank screen. The movie had ended. She arose from the couch and went into her room, the time on her clock being 6:30. "Oh my gosh!" May yelled. "I have to be there in thirty minutes before the busses to Rustboro leave!" She put on her bandana and rushed over to Ash. "Ash! Ash, wake up! How did you even fall asleep? You slept all day!"
Ash's eyes fluttered open. "Huh? What's going on?"
May pulled on his arm, trying to get Ash off of the couch in a hurry. "C'mon c'mon c'mon! I'll be late!"
An hour had passed and as always, Ash was in the benches of the stadium, cheering May on. The graceful girl had just finished an amazing match against a coordinator who chose to use Breloom. May used her Combusken and wowed the judges with its fire spin and mega kick! The audience cheered wildly, and two of the judges held up a nine, while the third one held up an eight. It really was a fantastic performance!
Ash was looking around while he clapped, honestly wondering if Drew was even there.
"Our next competitor…" the announcer began to speak when Ash left the stadium to use the restroom again.
In the bathroom, Ash turned on the water spigot and used his hands to catch the water and splash it on his face just as he did earlier. It relaxed him a bit. He walked over to the mirror that was but a few feet away and he peered into it, checking his appearance once again. He wondered what a girl like May saw in him. Ash was very self-conscious and he worried too much. "Patience…" he mumbled to himself. Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed through the room and Ash walked right out the door, slipping past whoever it was entering.
Ash had made it back just in time to catch the end of Dawn's performance and she had received three eights from the judges.
"Alright everyone! That was our last contestant for the night, and based on the decision of our judges, the winner is…" the announcer paused as a man in a suit and tie came from the judge's box and whispered the results into his ear. "Clara Shiburi!"
Hundreds of fans excitedly acclaimed for the winner, while Ash was just a bit melancholy that May wasn't picked. He knew that she worked very hard with Combusken and its act, but he clapped and smiled just the same.
Upon exiting, he noticed Drew walking close by. Ash hardly knew why himself, but he raised his hand up and called out to him over the many people between them. Drew turned his head and recognized Ash. He squeezed through the crowd and walked with Ash out of the stadium. "Did you see May out there Drew? Wasn't she great? I think she should've won."
"Yeah I saw her. She was okay." Drew's response angered Ash a bit, but he kept his calm and just looked around outside for her. "I'm going to go wait for May by the changing rooms." He told Ash.
"Oh, alright." Ash replied, looking around, trying not to think about how angry he was.
"Hey Drew! Hey Ash!" a voice exclaimed from the distance. It was Dawn, walki9ng towards them, but Drew behaved as if he didn't even hear her, and he kept walking. Dawn stopped a foot away from Ash, whose hands were balled up into fists and his eyes fixed on Drew. "Ash, are you okay?" Dawn inquired, a little worried.
Ash's fists loosened up as he tried to calm down and he broke his gaze from the back of Drew's head. "I'm fine Dawn." He walked off in the same direction as Drew, hoping to find May before her boyfriend did.
Dawn yelled at him from behind, "Fine! Just so you know, I will talk to May about this! She'll tell me why the both of you are being such jerks!"
Ash wanted to cry at that moment. "Jerk?" he thought to himself. "How am I…the jerk…?" He continued walking until he reached the changing rooms and there was Drew, talking to May right outside the doors. Ash approached them and waited until Drew had finished speaking, so he wouldn't be interrupting.
May, are we still getting ice-cream like we planned?" Ash asked. They had made these plans several days ago.
"Oh! That's right." May remembered. "Drew, we're going to get ice-cream! Want to come with? Ash is buying for me."
Drew accepted calmly, but without hesitation. "Yeah, I'll go."
All Ash could think of is how much he hated himself right then, for hating another person just out of jealousy.